Cats in the Air France Lounge?
Jennifer Billock August 18, 2019
On most airlines, pets are able to fly around the world with their owners, as long as they’re in a crate of some sort. But does that apply to when you’re at the airport and in the lounge? A recent encounter in an Air France lounge brings into question the rules surrounding pets in airports and what’s allowable.
Flying with animals is an inevitability, whether it’s a service animal, a support animal, or just the family pet who needs to move to London with the rest of the family. And most of the time, it’s alright; there are rules and regulations in place to make flying with animals easier and safer for both the person flying with the animal and the other passengers on the plane. But what about in the airport? What about when you’re off the plane? What happens then?
Edward Pizzarello of Pizza in Motion recently ran into a couple cats in an Air France lounge that raised a few questions. A woman and her husband were flying with their two cats. In the lounge, both cats had been removed from their carrier. One was lounging on a chair, the other lounging on the floor. One of them was on a least, at least, which the woman used to drag her cat across the floor to change chairs.
In this situation, the woman and her cats were getting nice and comfortable in the lounge, almost as if it was their own home with their own furniture. What do you think? Should that be allowable? If so, why, and if not, why not? Start a thread in the forum and let us know.
[Featured Image: Shutterstock]
Like many others, I am allergic to cats - I quite like them (although I am more of a dog person, and have no allergies to dogs) but can't stay near them, or anywhere they have been, for any length of time without ending up looking and feeling as though I have a severe head cold. It's not life-threatening, but it's utterly miserable. Ending up like that just before a flight because some selfish so-and-so had let their pet out of a crate in the lounge and let it (and its hair) get all over the furniture would be even more utterly miserable. Shame on the perpetrators! If lounges are to permit pets then the owners should be told that they should sit only in one area of the lounge, well away from the food, drinks, toilets, showers or any other part of the lounge that I might be using; and I would like the lounge staff to warn passengers that the animals are present and which part of the lounge to avoid. I acknowledge that for those allergic to dogs, service dogs represent a quandary. The owner may need to visit any or all of the facilities mentioned above, with their service dog. Well, fair enough, I say. Someone whose disability is sufficiently severe to require a service dog trumps my allergies any day, and if I were allergic to dogs rather than cats I would simply stay as far away as I could, or switch lounges if there was a choice, or if I was severely affected I would simply sit in the main departure area. One advantage, of course, is that one can sensibly expect service dogs not to get on (and therefore not to leave hairs or dander on) the furniture!
I am allergic. The hair/dander could get on my clothes and affect my breathing long after the cats have left. Even dry cleaning only helps a bit.
Even as a cat lover, I think it is important to realize that some humans have allergies. As well even my polite well behaved feline can be hard on furniture. On the other hand...a certain United Club infamously has a mice infestation. Maybe they should encourage cats to provide some security there?
Animals in the lounge are bad enough but ,no animals on the furniture !
I'd rather not get cat hair all over my clothes when going to the lounge. Maybe the cats were there to help with the mouse infestation :p